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'People are panicking but life goes on': Syrian Kurds brace for war 'People are panicking but life goes on': Syrian Kurds brace for war
(31 minutes later)
Life continued as normal in the towns of north-east Syria on Tuesday, with markets bustling and people going about their business despite fears of an imminent invasion by Turkish troops stationed across the border to the north. Life continued as normal in the towns of north-east Syria on Tuesday, with markets bustling and people going about their business despite fears of an imminent invasion by Turkish troops mustered across the border to the north.
Fears of an attack were widespread among Syrian Kurds, but so too was a confusion about what may happen in the coming days. What seemed to be a near certain outbreak of war after Donald Trump’s Sunday night statement appeared to clear the way for a Turkish assault on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had quickly turned into yet another chapter in a drawn out series of threats and defiance played out between Turkey and the Kurds over many months. Fears of an attack were widespread among Syrian Kurds, but so too was confusion about what might happen in the coming days. What had seemed to be a near certain outbreak of war, after Donald Trump’s statement on Sunday night appeared to clear the way for a Turkish assault on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), had quickly turned into yet another chapter in a drawn out series of threats and defiance between Turkey and the Kurds.
The backlash in the US and Trump’s apparent volte-face appears to have the led the Turks to tread carefully, it’s powerful air force instead bombing targets across the border in Iraq. The backlash in the US and Trump’s apparent volte-face appears to have the led the Turks to tread carefully, its powerful air force instead bombing targets across the border in Iraq.
Kurds travelling to Rojava – the name they use for the northeastern Syrian province – said the statement of the Turkish foreign minister, who said any operation would be temporary, had suggested Ankara had been spooked by the pushback against Trump from the US national security establishment. Kurds travelling to Rojava – the name they use for the north-east Syrian province – said the Turkish foreign minister’s statement that any operation would be “temporary” suggested that Ankara had been spooked by the pushback against Trump from the US national security establishment.
“Erdoğan thought he could do what he wanted yesterday,” said one Kurdish vendor travelling to the city of Qamishli from Iraq. “Then he woke up to a different reality. Maybe the Americans are not going to abandon us after all.”“Erdoğan thought he could do what he wanted yesterday,” said one Kurdish vendor travelling to the city of Qamishli from Iraq. “Then he woke up to a different reality. Maybe the Americans are not going to abandon us after all.”
Ghazi Ali, a Syrian Kurdish driver, said roads in the province appeared normal. “People are panicking, but life is going on,” he said. “Everyone is waiting to see what will happen. There’s a lot of talk on social media, but not much is actually happening.”Ghazi Ali, a Syrian Kurdish driver, said roads in the province appeared normal. “People are panicking, but life is going on,” he said. “Everyone is waiting to see what will happen. There’s a lot of talk on social media, but not much is actually happening.”
Another Rojava local, Noureddine Issa said: “We hear the Turks are going to attack, Life is normal in the market places and streets for now. But we’re waiting and worried.” Another Rojava resident, Noureddine Issa said: “We hear the Turks are going to attack. Life is normal in the market places and streets for now, but we’re waiting and worried.”
Elsewhere in the territory, officials in the largest Isis detention centre reported more unrest than normal, as rumours of an imminent attack grew. “Since last week we’ve recorded the highest number of attacks on camp guards,’ said one local official. “The camp is really volatile.” Officials in the largest Isis detention centre in the territory reported more unrest than normal, as rumours grew of an imminent incursion by Turkish forces. “Since last week we’ve recorded the highest number of attacks on camp guards,” said one local official. “The camp is really volatile.”
A woman in one of the camps said: “When we asked them [the guards] what will happen they start cussing out the Americans and cussing out Trump. And when we ask them about our fate, they say in kind of a joking way, ‘we will just spray you down [with bullets]‘. In every joke there’s some truth.” A woman in one of the internment camps said: “When we asked them [the guards] what will happen they start cussing out the Americans and cussing out Trump. And when we ask them about our fate, they say in kind of a joking way: ‘we will just spray you down [with bullets]’. In every joke there’s some truth.”
The fate of the camps remains central to discussions about what might happen if and when Turkey carries through with it’s threats to invade. The four detention centres in north-eastern Syria hold close to 90,000 people – among them thousands of ideologues who still pay heed to Isis teachings. “If they get out, there will be chaos,” said the woman. “The guards know I’m not Isis. We have a respect for each other, but it only goes so far. And I’m really scared.” 'We deserve support': Reinvented north-east Syria strives for stability
The threat of new displacement also hangs over civilian communities, many of which would likely flee in the face of Turkish troops. The relative safety of the Iraqi Kurdish border seems a likely destination for many – but the Kurdish region of Iraq has absorbed hundreds of thousands of refugees from earlier in the war and authorities there say they will struggle to contain a new influx. The fate of the detention camps remains central to discussions about what might happen if and when Turkey carries through with its threats to invade. The four detention centres in north-east Syria hold close to 90,000 people – among them thousands of ideologues who still pay heed to Isis teachings. “If they get out, there will be chaos,” said the woman. “The guards know I’m not Isis. We have a respect for each other, but it only goes so far. And I’m really scared.”
Former KRG President, and elder statesman of the region, Masoud Barzani, took to Donald Trump’s favourite medium, Twitter, to warn against an invasion. “We are very concerned about the recent developments in Western Kurdistan,” he wrote. “We are in contact with several channels and we will do our utmost to ensure that the people of Rojava are not subjected to any more disasters.” The threat of new displacement also hangs over civilian communities, many of which would likely flee in the face of Turkish troops. The relative safety of the Iraqi Kurdish border seems a likely destination for many – but the Kurdish region of Iraq has absorbed hundreds of thousands of refugees from earlier in the war. Authorities there say they would struggle to cope with any new influx.
Masoud Barzani, the elder statesman of the region and a former KRG president, took to Twitter to warn against an invasion. “We are very concerned about the recent developments in Western Kurdistan,” he wrote. “We are in contact with several channels and we will do our utmost to ensure that the people of Rojava are not subjected to any more disasters.”
SyriaSyria
KurdsKurds
Middle East and North AfricaMiddle East and North Africa
Donald TrumpDonald Trump
TurkeyTurkey
Recep Tayyip ErdoğanRecep Tayyip Erdoğan
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